The Golden Rules of Sun Protection

Check labels for the term broad-spectrum

It means the sunscreen provides protection against both UVA (wrinkle- and cancer-causing) and UVB (burning) rays. Problem is, that labeling rule only went into effect in December and stores still sell inventory made prior to it, notes Steven Wang, MD, a dermatologist at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in Basking Ridge, N.J. So if you're shopping and there's no broad-spectrum mention, check the ingredients for zinc or avobenzone, the only two that provide top-notch UVA coverage, he says.